![[DEVBLOG#286] Medieval 2 Alchemy](https://img5.saketami.com/storage/3/eu/sz/9a2cd0-019e8309-e8bc-79b4-b623-c47c97c85550.png)
[DEVBLOG#286] Medieval 2 Alchemy
Added 2025-03-04 13:24:05 +0000 UTCHey everyone!
As we approach the release of Medieval 2, I’m excited to share some new infographics showcasing the alchemy system in VFE-Medieval 2!
When designing alchemy, I wanted it to be more than just a medieval alternative to medicine. Instead, alchemy has a unique place in both medieval and industrial-era gameplay - that's why we added an electric-powered alchemy bench for more advanced colonies.
Draughts brewed through alchemy provide powerful but temporary effects, with a tradeoff: they cause toxic buildup. Consuming too many in a short time can be dangerous, especially for colonists vulnerable to toxicity. This makes alchemy a strategic tool, requiring careful use rather than just a simple boost.
Draughts vary from situational to generally beneficial, and they function similarly to drugs, making them intuitive to use for most players.
For ingredients, we aimed to avoid unnecessary resource bloat. Rather than introducing a set of new plants, we repurposed existing but underutilized flora - astragalus, clivia, rafflesia, alocasia, and glowstool - allowing them to yield unique alchemical ingredients. With the Alchemy research project, you'll also be able to farm these plants, making alchemy a fully integrated part of the game.
I truly believe these draughts will be invaluable across all tech levels, offering exciting new possibilities for colony management. Plus, an alchemy lab just looks awesome in any base!
Now, let’s take a look at those infographics!
Next up, I need to work on infographics for Heraldry, as well as for all the new furniture and structures. I will also post a teaser today that will show the Medieval mod in action!
Comments
DRUGS! HUZZAH!
Anrileth
2025-03-10 05:26:38 +0000 UTCwell at least i now have a way to commit a warcrime through a slow and painful death
Scyobi Empire
2025-03-07 10:55:21 +0000 UTCHad a question/ suggestion. Are/ should some of these be gated behind the electric bench? Some of the boons they provide are powerful which I get are balanced by the toxic build up they have. But when you think about something like the anti-tox draught this would mean you could trivialize something like toxic fallout or living in relatively extreme pollution with a pre industrial solution. Which is potentially problematic because those systems were seemingly designed around being played around rather than outright solved. It would also give a sense progression if you get some of the draughts early but can only manage their downside effectively with more research But i also understand that this is a medieval first mod so stratifying the draughts by tech tiers higher than medieval would be odd. I am curious what your thoughts are on this.
saltychipmunk190
2025-03-06 13:41:23 +0000 UTCThis is giving me the great idea to play a group of medieval wasters just drowning themselves in droughts and psychite.
Zachary Fewins
2025-03-05 14:41:04 +0000 UTCI agree. Especially with the amnesia draught reducing resistance it might be better to have the torturer draught affect will.
Zachary Fewins
2025-03-05 14:37:53 +0000 UTCIt should be pretty safe.
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-05 08:07:41 +0000 UTCNope
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-05 08:07:20 +0000 UTCYou are not.
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-05 08:07:03 +0000 UTCthe toxic build up could lead to cancer or even death if used too much, i think that’s what the trade off is to balance them
Scyobi Empire
2025-03-05 03:37:54 +0000 UTCmod it yourself if you don’t like it
Scyobi Empire
2025-03-05 03:36:05 +0000 UTCare we able to use something like a blow pipe or dart gun to inject the poison draught into enemies? unless i’ve missed something it seems to be a long and expensive way to execute a prisoner
Scyobi Empire
2025-03-05 03:35:12 +0000 UTCLooks awesome. Will enemies be able to use the droughts? Enemies in the vanilla game buff themselves with go-juice, yayo, etc. It makes sense that medieval raiders would occasionally buff themselves up with stone skin or strength droughts. Maybe this could also be extended to tribals?
p t
2025-03-05 01:41:44 +0000 UTCdo tox immune pawns still get tox build up?
Mcguffin
2025-03-05 01:22:42 +0000 UTCThoughts on something to help with addiction withdrawl or removal? I often find the mood for those pawns problematic to deal with humanly in a tribal/medieval setting. The Coma Draught might work, how safe would sedating with it be for something longer term like the 30day withdrawls?
Wolfy
2025-03-05 01:20:02 +0000 UTCAwesome, I can get behind that! I'm excited for sub mods to drop and add draughts using content from other mods <3
Thomas Grummett
2025-03-04 22:33:36 +0000 UTCI’m sorry but I can’t say I agree with your suggestions…
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 22:28:26 +0000 UTCThat’s the idea!
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 22:27:29 +0000 UTCDoesn't the anti-toxin draught make the toxic build up trade off of the other draughts trivial? Or is that the intent - that once you have enough production established you can crank out anti-toxins to mitigate the effects?
Thomas Grummett
2025-03-04 22:26:16 +0000 UTCChill
Mocho
2025-03-04 22:02:40 +0000 UTCI dont see any reason to not merge functionalities of both drug and draught benches in this mod and just call it alchemy bench ( the medieval version works more slowly and could randomly be set on fire with low skill pawns operating it LMAO )
Gustavo Righetti
2025-03-04 21:28:58 +0000 UTCNice! didnt expect this much content packed in this mod Here are my alchemy suggestions: Just call it Aclhemy bench instead of Draught bench. Or Alchemy workshop. ANyway, medieval has to be called ALCHEMY The bench needs to look more interesting, with alembics, copper tubes, you get the idea. Try mimicking some stuff from the Kingdom Come Deliverance alchemy benches ( youre slavic, i KNOW you play that game dont even try to pretend you dont ) Either call them potions or infusions, but that i dont really mind, the current names for some of the draughts are REALLY BORING. Make them more flavorful, my suggestions: Immunization = Constitution Clarity = Thaumaturgic potion Efficiency = Draught of Diligence Inspiration = Potion of Insight Painkiller = Potion of Alleviation Coma = Draught of Deepsleep Tortures = Draught of Sadism Also, given that we have ALCHEMY now, allow for these workbenches to make medieval grenades and gunpowder: chempowder kegs to setup explosive defences Naptha bombs as a cheap molotov ceramic bowls with smoke grenades Iron shrapnel grenades ( the chinese used these to fuck with the mongols in sieges )
Gustavo Righetti
2025-03-04 21:25:17 +0000 UTCThis is awesome! Definitely will be a staple mod on my list for years to come!
Teebo
2025-03-04 20:30:44 +0000 UTCNoo that’s far too minor to warrant a new job type. Drug production it is
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 19:55:37 +0000 UTCLooks great. However, Torturer draught reducing Resistance doesn't make any sense. It should reduce Will instead.
Moros
2025-03-04 19:35:41 +0000 UTCJust curious, if for alchemy works you’ll add new job type?
Timur Anufriyev
2025-03-04 19:23:51 +0000 UTCYou can't have Alchemy and not be able to do lead(steel?) to gold!
Mathieu Lalonde
2025-03-04 18:23:19 +0000 UTCYou can poison unwanted people in your colony without having through all the 'trial - guilty - execution'. You can poison prisoners. You can roleplay and have your own romeo and juliett.
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 17:23:53 +0000 UTCI am not sure what purpose poison draught have unless we can throw it like single use weapon.
Marberguson
2025-03-04 17:04:53 +0000 UTCAdding new graphics as a mod though is very easy, it's a simple process of placing the graphic in the correct filepath and making a very quick Def in notepad++!
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 16:25:40 +0000 UTCJust curious! Either way, you're doing awesome! I'm so excited for this one
cuber
2025-03-04 16:22:46 +0000 UTCThere's no way to inject graphics into the game at runtime, sorry.
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 16:18:39 +0000 UTCFor heraldry, is there any plan to allow us to insert our own small images or would that be a bit too complex? Just curious!
cuber
2025-03-04 16:17:11 +0000 UTCLooks amazing! I've always been a huge fan of alchemy systems. If only there was a way to throw them. Then you could weaponize them as grenades. Alchemists' fire or acid flasks would be really interesting additions to early grenades
ArcaneJellyfish
2025-03-04 15:19:40 +0000 UTCI can't wait to use this on my desserters playthrough!
John Anderson
2025-03-04 14:59:57 +0000 UTC+20% fertility (works on infertile too) Oh Oskar! For me? You shouldn't have! Hags beware, the potion seller and I have struck a deal!
The Dragonborn
2025-03-04 14:19:03 +0000 UTCCurious if we will see something similar for VE Health since if we're doing magic potions now then surely scientifically engineered super drugs must be on a whole new level of power wouldn't they? Secondly, we have the drug lab already, I'd assume it should be able to do the same as the draught bench wouldn't it? And lastly I do love the idea of making existing plants have a new function in the game, it's a really great idea to fleshen out what is already there.
Brutus Albion
2025-03-04 14:09:44 +0000 UTCThe hemogen looks incredible
eduardo volpe
2025-03-04 13:46:31 +0000 UTCOther fueled workbenches in the base game don't, so I don't think this should either. After all, we want the content to fit in any tech eras (fueled draught lab could work in an industrial colony just as well). It'd be weird if it had some scrolls on it etc. That's actually something I dislike Medieval Overhaul for. Their content looks medieval, which means it looks out of place NOT in medieval period.
Oskar Potocki
2025-03-04 13:45:29 +0000 UTCThis looks great. It would be cool if the fueled draught lab looked a little more... medieval. Excited for the release!
Adam Armstrong
2025-03-04 13:43:34 +0000 UTCOn the first glance, these effects seem to be much too strong for pre-industrial medicine but the idea, graphics and large variety are awesome!
Dawid Ziobrowski
2025-03-04 13:39:49 +0000 UTCI'm so hyped up for this mod
Davide Celli
2025-03-04 13:36:18 +0000 UTC
